300px|thumb|The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in June 2012

The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior () is part of the New Zealand National War Memorial on Buckle Street, Wellington.

On 6 November 2004, the remains of an unknown New Zealand soldier were exhumed from the (CWGC) Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, and laid to rest in the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Wellington, New Zealand. He represents over 18,000 members of New Zealand forces who lost their lives during the First World War. A special headstone marks his original resting place in Plot 14, Row A, Grave 27 at the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery.

History

<!-- Deleted image removed: left|thumb|The [[Catafalque Guard stands in position flanking the casket of the New Zealand Unknown Warrior during the handover ceremony|]] -->The idea of creating a New Zealand tomb for an unknown soldier was first raised during 1921, and resurfaced periodically during the next century.

The project to bring the soldier back was dubbed 'Operation Valhalla' and cost approximately $1 million, which included construction of the tomb, flights and accommodation and other expenses.

Māori ritual was involved during the creation of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. A Te Āti Awa elder (kaumātua) blessed the site at the start and end of construction, and the Unknown Warrior was accompanied from France to New Zealand by the New Zealand Defence Force Maori Cultural Group, recognising Māori protocol that the dead should never be left alone. were handed over from the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to a New Zealand delegation during a ceremony at Longueval, Somme, France. The inner totara casket was donated by a Greymouth resident, and the Funeral Directors' Association paid for two kauri caskets. One of the kauri caskets was given to the Army Museum at Waiouru. The tomb of black granite is built into the forecourt steps of the National War Memorial. It has a low profile so that it doesn't detract from the rest of the memorial.

References

  • National War Memorial of New Zealand
  • A Day to Remember: The Story of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior